Pandemic Preparations

**6933** · 04-27-09, 15:57

Like several said: wash hands, wash hands, wash hands. The prob w/the 1918 outbreak, and maybe this one, is that it hit the HEALTHY people the hardest; go figure. At a 7% mortality rate, there is a 93% chance if you get you'll live. That being said, you could well be very sick for weeks. The main problem will be if a pandemic does occur, as soon as the news starts saying the sky is falling, then everyday behavior of most of the population will change, i.e.- hoarding, staying out of work, etc. This could lead to supply/distribution probs. Better to follow the addage of eat what you stock, stock what you eat and go ahead and stock up. Once the news media declares we have major probs., may be too late to stock up. There have been several studies done that show 2-3X daily recommended amounts of Vitamins D,C, and E can help the body fight off sickness in general. Why not buy a supply of vitamins? Can't hurt and Wally World brand are cheap and just as good. If you drink bottled water,(or not) why not stock up on some generic H20? What I'm trying to say is if you sit down, think, and put pen to paper, you can get a nice little stockpile(for relatively cheap) to ride out the rough times(if they come) and if they don't, use the items in everyday life. I'm not going to go out and spend all my money on a 3 yr. supply. I can spend several hundred and have enough to make it through a rough patch. What about some high protein/carb food bars? Extra canned tuna? Frozen/canned veggies? Buy stuff on sale you would eat anyway. I have a feeling most guys on this forum already have the guns/ammo so I will leave that alone. Keep an eye on the situation and if SHTF, fill up the car(s) and some 5gal. containers. Was in NOLA for Katrina and the gas stations ran low day before she hit. Plenty of time to stock up, even for procrastenaters. The one thing that worries me is even if SHTF, I really can't afford to miss work for an extended period so that would mean if the place is open, I would have to go. Might be a good idea to purchase some face masks. N95 or 99 will do the trick. Latex gloves? At least a nice supply of alcohol based hand sanitizer. For true sanitizing(home, work, church, etc.), still can't beat bleach. HAVE A PLAN! Do I think the S*** is going to hit the fan? Probably not. But if it does, being unprepared could be disasterous. In this situation I say better safe than sorry. Some preparation could make a huge difference in my and my wife's life. I am not willing to take chances with someone else's health/welfare.

**Vic303** · 04-27-09, 16:13

One thing I have not seen discussed much in regards to the 1918 pandemic is the effects of stress on the returning soldiers weakening their immune systems. We all know stress affects our bodies ability to fend off illness, and WWI was certainly 'stressful'! The outbreak got its start in returning soldiers (at Ft Riley IIRC) though there is good evidence that it had several minor outbreaks during trench warfare in prior years. Those returning soldiers were young and generally healthy by the standards of the day, but they had just been through hell over there.

I think it behooves us all to try to reduce stress in our lives, as part of an overall plan to stay healthy and increase our chances of survival in this or other potential pandemics.

**Subotai** · 04-27-09, 21:57

Go to a feed store and buy 50 gallon plastic container with a screw on lid. Buy lots of rice and fill it up. Sore in a cool dry place. Buy more than one for water storage.

Anyone have the formula for how many drops of bleach to how much water to keep it pure?

**dhrith** · 04-27-09, 22:18

"But how would the potential impact of not being able to get into any contact with other people change things?"

Probably lower my blood pressure a few notches.

**Vic303** · 04-27-09, 22:44

Originally Posted by Subotai

Anyone have the formula for how many drops of bleach to how much water to keep it pure?

http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/programs/ext...atersuppl.html

How should I treat the water for storage?

Be sure that the water you are treating is drinking-quality water to begin with. To treat water for storage, use liquid household chlorine bleach that contains 5.25 percent sodium hypochlorite. Do not use bleach with soaps or scents added. Add the bleach according to the table below, using a clean, uncontaminated medicine dropper.

4 drops bleach per quart or liter container of water
8 drops bleach per 2-quart, 2-liter, or ½ gallon container of water
16 drops bleach, or 1/4 teaspoon, per gallon or 4-liter container of water

When treating larger quantities of water, use the following table to convert drops to standard measuring units.

8 drops = 1/8 teaspoon
16 drops = 1/4 teaspoon
32 drops = ½ teaspoon
64 drops = 1 teaspoon
192 drops = 1 Tablespoon
384 drops = 1/8 cup which is equal to 2 Tablespoons

Stir the water and allow it to stand for 30 minutes. Chlorine should be detectable by odor after the 30 minute waiting period. If the water does not smell like chlorine at that point, repeat the dose and let it stand another 15 minutes. Place caps on containers and attach labels describing the contents and when each was prepared.

Water stored in metal containers should not be treated, prior to storage, with chlorine since the chlorine compound is corrosive to most metals. Therefore, only very pure water should be stored in metal containers.

**RWBlue** · 04-28-09, 13:40

Since no one else has said it, stop using CASH. If you examine the average dollar bill you will find all kinds of germs on it.

**Seth Harness** · 04-28-09, 13:58

Very true, I was just thinking about the cash thing lastnight. Good point.

Im wondering when a good time is to pull the kids from scool and daycare, before anything happens. It seems that my kids are the ones who bring everything home and spread it throughout the house. I hate to be an alarmist and my wife already thinks Im an obsessive freak, but I think preps are good.

**Hayduke** · 04-28-09, 17:17

Colloidal Silver.

snipped from another site:

Until patentable antibiotics were developed in the late 1930s, silver colloid solution was the microbe fighter of choice. But silver colloid had two very serious drawbacks for the so-called health care industry: it wasn't patentable and it was inexpensive.

The health care business, like any other, depends on money for its existence and profits for its growth - good, solid quarterly profits. And, like all other industries, the more the better. Profits are the name of the game. And the biggest profits in this industry are in developing and making pharmaceuticals...drugs. This has grown into a trillion-dollar industry. One which seems to be in firm control of the AMA and its member doctors, the medical schools, as well as the FDA, and through lobbyists, Congress, as well as all 50 state legislatures.

The medications physicians prescribe are enormously profitable.

Silver colloid solution has no drug company behind it. There are no silver colloid salemen visiting doctors to promote the product. No all-expenses paid trips to vacation spots around the world for conferences. No bags of free samples. Yet it has been shown to be beneficial in the tratment of athlete's foot, boils, warts, ringworm, strep infections, burns, skin cuts and infections, eczema, diarrhea, bladder invlammation, shingles, ulcers, lupus, malaria, colds, chronic fatigue, flu, and so on. Further, microbes are unable to mutate so they can avoid its action, as they can with all other anitbiotics.

You can make this stuff for pennies a gallon. Or you can go to a health food store and pay several dollars per ounce. Your choice.

i remember my grandparents talking about putting a silver dollar in their jars of milk to make them last longer before spoiling. you can over-do it on the silver and cause other health issues obviously like you can with all kinds of meds. i've used this exact home-made method on sore throats and ear infections with great results.....